Safety-check for music-boxes



(No Model.)

E. CUENDET.

ASAEETY CEEGK EOE MUSIG BOXES.

No. 363,451. Patented May 24, 1887.v

.... .5'. Wl? Q.

@MNM/Lame@ n Pnzns. mwunmr-vw. www n. o U

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

EMILE cIInNDET, or HonoIrnN, New JERSEY'.

SAFETY-CHECKFOR MUSIC-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363.451, dated May 24, 1887.

Application filed April 5, 1887. Serial No. 233759. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILE CUENDET, la citizen of the United States, residing at Hoboken, in the county of lHudson and State of New Jersey, have invented anew and useful Improve ment in Safety- Cheeks for Music-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in safety-cheeks for musicboxes; and the object of Inyinvention is to provide a device adapted to prevent the cylinder ofthe music-box from rotating so rapidly as to break or Vbend the pins on the cylinder and the teeth of the combin the event that the ily-wheel or any of the wheels connected with the pinion should get loose or become broken when the springis wound. This object I attain by the construction hereinafter described,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top plan view of the operative mechanism of a musiclbox provided with my improved safety-check. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe cylinder provided with my improved safety-check. same, showing the safety-check applied when in the act of preventing too rapid rotation of the cylinder.

A represents the rotating barrel or cylinder provided with projecting teeth adapted to engage the teeth of the comb B as the cylinder rotates and thereby play a tune. Y

C represents a gearwhecl rigidly attached to the cylinder-shaft and meshing with the train of gear-wheels D, that terminates in an esoapementsfan, E, the function of which is to regulate the speed of the cylinder when the device is in operation. The cylinder-shaft is provided with the usual coiled spring inelosedany of the train of wheels communicating with the cylinder-shaft should become broken or misplaced when the spring is wound, the latter in uncoiling will rotate the cylinder at such a velocity as will cause the delicate pins which Fig. 3 is a similar view of thev project from its surface and the teeth of the comb to become brokenV or bent, and thereby completely ruin theinstrument. Myinventlon is designed to prevent this destructive run.77

K represents a ratchetwheel, which is secured to one end of the cylinder, and the teeth `of the said ratchet-wheel extend in the direction in which the cylinder rotates when the in- 6o strument is in operation.

L representsa spur-wheel, which is attached to the same end of the eylinder,and is secured alongside the ratchet-wheel, the diameter of the said spur-wheel being somewhat in excess of the diameter of the ratchet-wheel. To the base-plate of the music-box is secured abcaringbracket, M, that extends toward the wheel L, and in the said bearing-bracket is journaled a shaft, N.- I.

O represents a pinion, which is rigidly attached to the shaft N and meshes with the spurwheel L; and l? represents an elli ptical-shaped cam,which is rigidly secured to one end of the shaft Nand rotates with the pinion O. The pinion O and the spurwheel Lhave their teeth so arranged that thel shaft N will be turned through one-halt` a revolution while the ratchetwheel is moving through the space of one of its ratehetteeth.

R represents a pawl, which is pivot-ed to a suitable bracket or other fixed point, and is adapted to engage the ratchet-wheel. This pawl is provided on its under side, at a suitable distance from its fulcrnm, with a curved oli'set or shoulder, S, against which the periphery of the cam T bears. From the outer side of the lower portion of the pawl projects a weight arm or lever, T, the function of which is to cause the curved shoulder or oiset of the pawl to at all times engage the periphery of the cam.

The operation of myinvention is as follows: While the cylinder is rotating at its usual slow rate of speed, the cam, being geared to the said cylinder, is also rotated, and causes the pawl to be alternately moved toward and from the teeth of the ratehet-wheel, the weight-arm T serving to draw the pawl from between the teeth as soon as the projected end portion of roo the cam passes the curved shoulder of the pawl, thus preventing the latteri'rom stopping the cylinder. In the event that any of the train. of gear-wheels connected to the cylinder should become broken and the cylinder should start to rotate at a dangerous rate of speed, the cam P will be rotated at a In uch higher rate of speed, and the said cam will strike the weighted pawl with considerable force. This causes the Weight-arm T to acquire sueh momentum as to force the free end of the paWl into engagement with one of the teeth of the ratehet-Wheel,and, owing to the energy of the spring exerted on the cylinder, the latter will keep the tooth 'of theratehet-Wheel engaged by the pawl so rmly pressed against the latter that its weightarm T will not disengage it from the tooth, and thereby the motion of the cylinder will be stopped before any damage is done.

Having thus Y described my invention, I elaimy 1. The combination of the rotating cylinder having the spur-wheel L and the ratchet-wheel K, the shaft having the pinion engaging the spur-Wheel, and the rotating earn P, attached to the said shaft, and the pawl R, bearingnormally on the periphery of the cam, all eon1- bined and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forthn 2. The combination of the spur-Wheel L and the ratchet-Wheel K, adapted to rotate together and in the same direction, the shaft N, having the pinion engaging the spur-Wheel, and the eccentric-@ain l?, and the pawl R, having the curved shoulder or offset normally bearing on the periphery ofthe earn, the said pawl being further provided with the projecting Weightarm T, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

3. The combination ofthe rotating cylinder having the ratehet-wheel K, thepawl, the shaft geared to the cylinder and rotated thereby, and means, substantially as described, connecting the said shaft to the said pawl, and adapted 'to move the latter into engagement with the ratchet-Wheel when the speed of the cylinder increases.

In testimony that I elaim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

Y EMILE CUENDETn Vitnesses:

L. G. JACoARD, T, P. KIR'LIN. 

